


It Could Happen To You

by orphan_account



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - High School, F/F, Hate Crimes, Homophobia, Hospitals, Interns & Internships, M/M, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Social Justice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-22
Updated: 2016-02-28
Packaged: 2018-05-22 12:44:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6079764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alexander is at work when he gets the call.</p><p>What is the first thing you're supposed to think when you've just been told your boyfriend is in the hospital?<br/>Alex doesn't have the first clue. So he doesn't think, he does everything Hercules asks of him and runs as many reds as necessary to get to wherever Laurens is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Uptown

**Author's Note:**

> this is so angsty and so so gay

It's a brisk afternoon in late August, around 12:45 PM, when Alexander's phone stars buzzing with a call from Hercules Mulligan. He's at work, Washington whistling quietly across the firm's tiny back office. Alex feels slightly self-conscious about answering, since most calls from Mulligan can be boiled down to some ridiculous question about how to bake a frozen pizza or a loud, raunchy story about whatever just happened at the bar (the latter usually started rolling it at about 5, so Alex found his worries unjustified on that end). Alex stared at the phone for a few seconds before turning it to silent and then stowing it in his bag, under his desk.

He continued to work for a good twenty minutes before there was a knock at the door. Washington invited whoever was requesting entrance in with a loud, brief shout. The door opened and in stepped Aaron Burr, holding one of the firm's cordless landlines against his chest with his left hand, his right still on the doorknob. "Hamilton, there's a call for you on line 4."

"Thank you, Burr." Hamilton nodded to the retreating lawyer. He picked up the phone on his desk and clicked the button to connect him to line 4. "Washington & Burr, Alexander Hamilton speaking."

"Alex! Thank god," It was Lafayette, a poorly disguised panicked note in his voice. "You need to get to New York Presbyterian Hospital. Like, now."

A cold rush of adrenaline flowed rapidly through Alex, as if his blood had been turned to ice. "What's going on?" He asked, his voice raising nearly and octave. This caught Washington's attention, and the lawyer listened in from across the room.

"It's- it- god, I just... Hang on, here's Hercules." Lafayette's voice was staring to break. There was a bit of shuffling on the other end before Hercules' deep voice took over the conversation.

"It's Laurens." Hercules informed in a somber tone. "I'll explain when you get here. Just get here. Oh, and call Angelica and Eliza for me, will ya? Pass on the message, and tell them that Laf just went to pick up Peggy from school, Laurens will want... What's that, Laf? Oh, shit. Okay, we gotta go. Be here. I'll meet you out front." And with that, the phone call ended.

"What was that about?" Washington asked, noticing his intern's expression.

"I'm not entirely sure," Alex breathed. "Uh, sir, I'm terribly sorry but I think I need to go... My friend mentioned a hospital, and my boyfriend, and I just... I need to go."

"Don't think twice about it, Hamilton." Washington nodded understandingly. "Please call later on, let me know what's going on, alright son?" Hamilton just nodded. He truly appreciated his boss's support, but right now all that mattered was getting to John.

As soon as he was in his car, he pulled his phone out of his bag. The screen made him want to vomit.

 **_Hercules_ ** _(12:44 PM)_

_Missed Calls - 8_

**_Hercules_ ** _(12:49 PM)_

_New Voicemails - 3_

_**Lafayette** (12:51 PM)  
_

_Missed Calls - 14_

**_Lafayette_ ** _(1:01 PM)_

_Alex you need to answer the phone_

**_Lafayette_ ** _(1:01 PM)_

_Missed Calls - 5_

**_Lafayette_ ** _(1:02 PM)_

_New Voicemails - 5_

**_Hercules_ ** _(1:03 PM)_

_Missed Calls - 2_

**_Hercules_ ** _(1:03 PM)_

_alexander for the love of god its an emrgncy_

**_Lafayette_ ** _(1:04 PM)_

_Alex it's serious_

**_Hercules_ ** _(1:05 PM)_

_Missed Calls - 3_

**_Hercules_ ** _(1:06 PM)_

_pick up the fucking phone hamilton_

**_Lafayette_ ** _(1:07 PM)_

_Missed Calls - 3_

**_Lafayette_ ** _(1:07 PM)_

_I'm calling the firm._

 

Alex shook the tears out of his eyes. God, how could he have been so stupid? Jesus fucking Christ, a total of 36 missed calls and he never even knew his phone was ringing.

He swiped open his phone and plucked the bakery's number into speed dial. He plugged his AUX cord into his phone so he could talk while he drove. The whole car rung, and when the call was answered, the top-of-the-line stereo made it sound like Eliza was sitting right there beside him.

"Schuyler Bakery on 17th and 9th! This is Eliza, how can I help you today?" Her bubbly voice was enough to make Alex calm down enough to take a deep breath.

"Lize, it's me." He sighed. 

"Alex! Hey, what's up?" Her smile was audible.

"I- I just got a call from Laf and Herc." He started, not totally sure if he would be able to get the news out. "They need us at New York Presbyterian, something about John being in the hospital. I'm on my way there now but traffic is crazy. You're farther uptown than I am right now, so I figured you'd get there before I did. Lafayette's gone to pick up Peggy from school."

There was a short silence before Eliza spoke again. "Okay. Okay, okay okay okay. I'll get Ang to close up shop. We're on our way."

* * *

 

"ANGELICA!" Eliza screamed upon setting down the phone. The older girl came out from the kitchen, flour dusting her shirt sleeves.

"Christ Betsey, what is it?" There was a slightly annoyed tone to her voice.

Eliza was already taking off her apron and grabbing her purse from the hook near the back door. "Alex just called. Laurens is in the hospital. Lafayette just went to get Peggy. We gotta go."

Angelica stood still for a few moments, shell shocked, before dashing into panic mode, trying to do everything it once. She rushed to the front of the store and turned off the lights and locked the door, flipping over the sign on the door do 'closed'.

* * *

Peggy was in Advanced US Politics, looking for a current even to do her next report on, when a breaking news story suddenly popped up at the top of the webpage she was surfing.

**_NEW YORK MAN IN CRITICAL CONDITION AFTER ALLEGED HATE CRIME ON UPPER EAST SIDE_ **

She squinted at the thumbnail of the article, swearing she could make out a familiar face, when her name was called over the PA system. She stuffed her laptop in her bag and trekked down to the office, where a frizzy-haired French man greeted her in a rush.

"There you are!" Lafayette exclaimed, taking her hand. "I've already signed you out of school. We gotta go," He took her hand and led her out to the car.

"What's going on?" Peggy asked, suddenly afraid.

"Laurens is in the hospital. There's been... Something akin to an accident."


	2. Meet Me Inside

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex and the girls finally get the full story on what happened to Laurens when they arrive at the hospital.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy crap you guys, your response was overwhelming!! thank you all so much for your support, its really appreciated. Here's chapter 2!

Alex pulled up to the hospital a while after getting off the phone with Eliza. As he parked and collected himself, he could see through the windows to the reception area where most everyone was sitting down, with the exception of Eliza, who was pacing.

Alex ran into the building, and Lafayette stood when he saw the disheveled intern approaching. "Good, you're here." Lafayette said, almost too professionally. "We can tell you what happened."

The Schuyler sisters each hugged Alex before taking a seat to listen. Alex reluctantly joined them. Hercules and Lafayette stood in front of them, as if they were about to give a presentation. The whole gentility of it made Alex fume.

Hercules started. "So, you guys know that Laf had his Foreign Relations exam today. Well, Laurens and I thought that, as sort of a good-luck, we'd take him out for lunch at Krissy's, you know that cafe on campus. We were sitting there, about to leave, and these two guys behind us, they were from my old apprenticeship- Sam and Charles- they start throwing around all these homophobic slurs. Naturally, Laurens got steamed and started ranting to them." This garnered a series of varied responses- Peggy and Eliza winced, Angelica shook her head, and Alex stared, wide-eyed, slack jawed. "Anyways, they got in this huge debate. One thing led to another, and Charles threw a punch, and then Sam... They got him pretty bad. He got hit with a chair a few times, and some dishes."

"The doctors think they may have knocked one of is vertebrae out of place." Lafayette scratched the back of his neck. "He's in surgery right now."

"That can happen?" Peggy asked, astonished.

"Guess so." Hercules shrugged.

It took Alex a few moments to process everything before it all hit him. "He's- he's in surgery?"

"Yeah, yeah." Lafayette sat next to Hamilton and put and hand on his arm. "The doctors promised to notify us right away of any changes."

"What are the extent of his injuries? Do we know yet?" Angelica asked, rubbing her eyes.

"So far, a broken nose, 3 broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder & kneecap, a broken collarbone and a possibly-dislocated vertebrae." Hercules said. "Oh, and some stitches in his stomach from one of the dishes that got thrown at him."

"Christ." Alex put his head in his hands. "Holy shit. This... I don't believe this. This isn't really happening." He told himself. 

"I'm sorry, Alex." Eliza put a hand onto his back, rubbing circles between his shoulder blades.

"What about they guys who did it?" Alex asked, suddenly enraged. How dare anyone try to touch his John?

"Campus security was called, but they ran." Lafayette said sadly. "As far as I know, the police are on the hunt."

"So... What now?" Peggy asked. Her eyes were wet, so Lafayette reached across Alex and Eliza to squeeze her hand.

"Now, we play the waiting game." Hercules crossed his arms and sat back in his chair. " _Fun_."

* * *

 

It was a good few hours before any news was heard. The sun had begun its ascent, casting a warm orange glow across the hospital floor. The group hadn't done much but worry in the past few hours, Peggy had fallen asleep with her head in Lafayette's lap, Hercules was knitting, Eliza was intermittently checking around to make sure everyone was doing alright, and Angelica was outside shouting on the phone with some angry customer who had come by the store to find it closed. Alex had curled up in an armchair, staring at the floor, every worst case scenario scrolling through his mind.

At last, a petite woman in a white coat came into the room. "The party of Mr. John Laurens?" She called.

Alex launched out of his chair. "Me! That's- Us, we're his party."

"Hello, sir. I'm Dr. Reynolds."

"Alexander Hamilton. I'm John's b-boyfriend." He hesitated a moment before the final word, remembering that that was all part of the problem.

Dr. Reynolds shook Alex's hand. "Mr. Hamilton, your boyfriend is out of surgery, luckily his back wasn't as injured as we had previously thought." She explained. "I trust your friends brought you up to date on his confirmed injuries?"

"Yes, yes they did." Alex raked a hand through his hair, desperate for more information.

"Alright, well." Dr. Reynolds began awkwardly paging through the file in her hand. "Mr. Hamilton, there was a... Slight complication with the surgery."

"What?" Hercules interjected. "What complication?"

"Well... While we were operating, the anesthesia kept wearing off. Mr. Laurens kept waking up on us. So we had to up the dosage sixfold. He's going to be fine, it's a common complication with a trauma patient of this type, but he probably wont wake up for several days." 

There was a tense silence, everyone watching Alex to see what his reaction would be, ready to support. But Alex remained measured. "Can I see him? Please?"

Dr. Reynolds pressed her bright red lips into a thin line for a moment and then nodded. "I suppose it wont do any harm." She gestured for them to follow her.

At the door to Laurens' hospital room, Dr. Reynolds paused before letting anyone in. "Now, please keep in mind that John is in rough shape, but please dont be alarmed. He'll most likely fully recover."

"Most likely?" Peggy asked, her little voice full of fear. Dr. Reynolds didn't answer. Instead she opened the door, letting the group into the room.

Alex stood, paralyzed by whet he saw. John Laurens, _his John Laurens_ , connected to machines through wires and tubes sticking out of his arms, a massive purple splotch covering his nose and the majority of his left eye, his left arm in a splint, his right leg in some kind of blue fabric cast. Bruises covered most of his neck and face, obscuring his freckles.

"Oh, god." Alex whispered. He slowly walked around the other side of the bed and sat in the chair next to his boyfriend, taking the hand that wasn't in the splint. Nobody dared to say a word.

There was silence for a while as everyone surveyed the injured man. The quiet was only broken by Alex's phone dinging with the arrival of a new text (he had since turned his phone off of silent mode).

_**Aaron Burr** (5:26 PM)_

_W has been worried sick about u. U shud give him a call when u kno what there is to kno._

Alexander sighed down at his phone and typed a response.

**_Alexander_ _Hamilton_ ** _(5:26 AM)_

_I will._

A reply came only moments later.

_**Aaron Burr** (5:27 PM)_

_Ar u ok? Can i do anythng?_

**_Alexander Hamilton_ ** _(5:28 PM)_

_We're getting by. Thanks anyway, Burr._

* * *

 

**ASSAULT VICTIM STABLE AT NY PRESBYTERIAN**

_ Saturday, August 23rd, 6:42 PM _

_ New York Times _

A New York Man, John Laurens, is in recovery after being badly beaten at a cafe at Columbia University .

Sources say that Laurens was eating lunch with friends when he got into an altercation with two other students, Charles Lee and Sam Seabury, over alleged 'homophobic comments'.

Laurens was beaten with a chair and dishes, as well as hand combat.

Dr. Maria Reynolds of New York Presbyterian hospital released a statement saying that Laurens was in stable condition, but is being monitored very closely for any complications following a spinal surgery.

 

Police are on the hunt for Lee and Seabury. If you have any information on the whereabouts of these men, please contact police immediately.

More on this story as it develops.

* * *

** DRAMA AT WASHINGTON & BURR LAW FIRM **

_ New York Law Journal _

George Washington, co-founder of the law firm of Washington & Burr, reportedly sent all clients away after a mysterious phone call in his office around 1:30 this afternoon.

His partner, Aaron Burr, spoke with us, and was quoted as saying the following:

"One of Washington's interns, someone he cares for very much, was called away on personal matters this afternoon. It's not know exactly what caused Alexander Hamilton to depart, other than someone close to him was injured, but Washington became very worried and told us all to go home early. Whatever it was, Mr. Washington and myself would like to extend our fullest support to Mr. Hamilton and his family."


	3. A Grace Too Powerful To Name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As John's story gains traction nationwide, Alex refuses to leave his bedside; Lafayette and Hercules meet with the police, who make a breakthrough in John's case; and Eliza confides in an unlikely friend.

**Aaron Burr** (@aaronburrsir)

_My deepest sympathies to @alexhamilton and co. aftr hearing abt @johnlaurensNYC . Change is coming #JusticeforJohn_

 

 **George Washington** (@genwashington)

_Wishing only the best to my dear friend @alexhamilton and his boyfriend @johnlaurensNYC . History will favor you both. #JusticeforJohn_

 

 **Marquis de Lafayette** (@lancelotoftherevolution)

_@herculesthetailor and I headed in to talk to police about the events of yesterday. Gonna set the record straight for out boy @johnlaurensNYC #JusticeforJohn_

 

 **Peggy Schuyler** (@andmargareta)

_@johnlaurensNYC when you read this, if you read this.... know that you are so loved. #JusticeforJohn_

 

24 hours after Alexander arrived at the hospital, his Twitter feed was blowing up with messages, a new message sounding off every other minute, but Alex couldn't even be bothered to take a sip of water. He re-adjusted his grip on John's hand every so often, and his gaze only left his boyfriend's battered face if Dr. Reynolds was in the room.

John had made some minute movements today; a light squeeze on Alex's hand every so often, a moan of discomfort here and there. Alex didn't know whether to be relieved or worried by his tiny sounds, but Dr. Reynolds had assured him that everything was going as it should, and at this rate, John would be awake within the next 48 hours.

"Alex," Eliza approached him, cafeteria sandwich in hand, "you haven't eaten since we got here."

"Can't eat." Alex hadn't slept either, so sentences weren't exactly his profession at the moment. "Stomach tight."

"Unacceptable." Eliza tried to be stern, but Alex could hear the concern in her voice. This made him sit back and grab the sandwich from her hand, unwrap half of it and take a bite from the corner. With a mouthful of turkey and lettuce, he smiled up at her.

"Thank you, Lize." He muttered though his food.

Eliza gave a tired smile- she hadn't slept at all, either. "You're welcome. I know it's probably moot to ask, but everyone else is going to come over to my place for a late lunch; Ange and I are making stir fry. Wanna come?"

"I really cant." Alex shook his head. "I gotta stay with John. Besides, you already fed me."

 

 

* * *

 

At Eliza's, Hercules looked just slightly out of place in his best suit. Peggy had gone to shower, and Eliza had given everyone free use of her bed, so Angelica and Lafayette were napping while Hercules adjusted his tie one final time in the mirror by the door.

"Relax, Herc." Eliza didn't even have to look away from the stovetop to tell that the tailor was fiddling with her meticulously-crafted double tie knot. "You don't even have to leave for another hour." The pot sizzled as she poured a cup of soya sauce over the ground beef packaged vegetables- carrots, broccoli, and cauliflour. Not exactly very nutritious, but hey, she hadn't been expecting guests.

"I know." Hercules sighed. "I'm just nervous. What I saw yesterday... I'm changed, ya know? I really fucked me up."

Eliza turned down the flame so the vegitables wouldn't burn when she turned to look at Hercules. "I know, hon." She opened up her arms, and the significantly larger man practically waddled into them, feeling comforted by this woman who cared so much for him.

It wasn't until he tried to pull away that he realized that Eliza was crying.

* * *

 

John's story had made the national news last night, so neither Hercules or Lafayette were all that surprised when they rolled up to the police station and were instantly swarmed by paparazzi. They left the car and were instantly surrounded by cameras, reporters, and microphones. They pushed past it all, they only had one thing in mind- justice.

Twenty minutes later, the two were sitting in front of some old detective who was asking them a barrage of questions. When Hercules was in the middle of a statement, there was a knock at the door and another officer poked his head in. 

"Uh, sir? I don't mean to interrupt, but Montgomery just paged in from Harlem saying he's got a 10-15 on the Laurens case."

The officer interviewing the two men looked stunned for a moment before returning his gaze to Lafayette and Hercules. He leaned towards them, over the table, and laced his fingers together.  "Would you two be willing to testify against Lee and Seabury in a court of law?"


	4. I'm Not Your Son

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Hercules and Lafayette are still reeling from the unexpected finding of Lee and Seabury; Alex, Angelica and Peggy sound off against an unwanted visitor and gain support from someone they never expected, and Eliza faces reality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: this chapter contains homophobic slurs.

**Angel(ica)** _(4:19 PM)_

_Just left Eliza's, heading back to the hospital. She had just fallen asleep when we left, so she'll probably be out a while. How'd the interview go?_

**Mulligan**   _(4:24 PM)_

_your not going to fucking believe this_

* * *

 The two conscious Schuyler sisters met Lafayette and Hercules back in the reception area at 4:51.

"How's Eliza?" Hercules asked.

"Well, like I said, she's asleep. Thanks for talking her into getting some rest, honestly? If someone hadn't intervened, she wouldn't have slept for days." Angelica sighed.

"Poor girl." Hercules hung his head. "She was so busy trying to take care of everyone that she couldn't take care of herself."

"That's our Betsey." Peggy agreed. After a shower and a change of clothes, she felt worlds better. The same couldn't be said for angelica, whos mid-day nap only served to make her cranky. "Anyway. The interview? How'd it go?"

"Oh yeah!" Lafayette pipped up."Come with us!"

The four scurried back to John's room, where Alex was still sitting like a statue at the side of his boyfriend. 

"Remote?" Hercules asked loudly.

Alex pointed to a small desk across the room. Lafayette snatched it and turned on Chanel 7, just in time for the 5 o'clock news.

_'Our top story tonight- Sam Seabury and Charles Lee, who had evaded police on charges of aggravated assault, were found today in Harlem. The two were taken into custody, and a trial is expected to start tomorrow.'_

"Holy shit." Surprisingly, the statement had come from Alexander. He was standing, his fingers only hanging off of John's limp arm, his eyes wide. "They found the fuckers?"

"Yup." Lafayette nodded. "Herc and I go to court tomorrow to testify against them."

"Why do they need a court case?" Angelica asked. "It's open and shut."

"They need a ruling, though." Alexander pointed out. "And a sentence."

Laurens made another tiny sound of distress, and all heads turned to him. Alex was back at his side in an instant, brushing a stray piece of curly hair out of the unconscious man's face. His hair was getting hopelessly tangled and a bit greasy, and he smelled a bit of sweat, but even so.

"Isn't he beautiful?" Alex asked. "God, look, the bruises are fading a tiny bit. You can see those thee huge freckles right on the tip of his nose again." Alex sighed. He looked up to see everyone smiling at him. He smiled back, a watery smile that turned into sobs. Peggy put her hands on his shoulders. "I miss his voice." Alex whimpered. "I miss his eyes. His smile. I need him back."

At that, everyone else in the room crowded Alex in a big circle of love. 

As soon as the group hug had broken up, Hercules straightened his tie and cleared his throat. "I'd better go back and check on Eliza."

"I'll go with you." Lafayette agreed. One more round of hugs and the two men were gone.

* * *

When Hercules and Lafayette arrived at Eliza's apartment, she was already awake, sitting on the couch, staring at the blank TV. She was still in her clothes from the day before (Herc hadn't managed to convince her to put on pyjamas, because 'what if something comes up and I need to get to the hospital right away?'). Her hair was a bit tangled on the right side, what was left of her mascara had smudged, and the bags beneath her eyes had sunk into her cheeks.

"Jesus, Lize, are you okay?" Lafayette asked and took a seat beside her. She gave no response.

"Eliza? Can you answer us?" Hercules waved a hand in front of her face. Her eyes briefly met his, but flicked away just as abruptly.

"I can't do this." Eliza muttered quietly, her voice hoarse. "I just... Cant. Seeing so many of the people I love in pain like this, one of them unconscious and in the hospital, and theres nothing I can do for anyone to make anything any better. I'm always the one people go to when they need a solution, but I can't give one here. I can't make this better, and it's eating me from the inside out."

"Eliza," Lafayette softened his voice. "You can't expect yourself to be able to make everything better. That's not fair to yourself."

"Besides, you've done so much for all of us," Hercules added, "you got Alex to eat. He wouldn't have even looked at anyone else."

Eliza's expression didn't change, but she gave a minute nod. Lafayette threw his arm around her and kicked his feet up onto the coffee table. "It's 6, wanna watch the Sesame Street rerun?" He didn't wait for a response, turning on the TV.

The three of them ordered Chinese takeout for dinner, and eventually the two boys coaxed a smile, a giggle, and finally a laugh out of the girl. Baby steps, they told themselves, still a bit shocked from seeing the girl who had once had it all together finally break into pieces.

* * *

 

Angelica and Peggy had tracked down a set of cards and were currently enraptured in a game of Go Fish, and Alexander had become a bit more lax, his hand dangling over the guardrail of John's bed, his hand relaxed in his boyfriend's. He was watching the daily rerun of Sesame Street- he knew Lafayette and Mulligan probably were too, those adolescents- when there was a light tap at the doorframe. Alex looked up and locked eyes with the last person who should have been there.

"Henry Laurens." He seethed. Henry stared at him with disdain, and a hint of guilt when he saw his son.

"I'm not here to fight," he announced, "I'm here to see my son."

"It's people like you who hurt your son." Alex stood angrily, knocking over his chair. "People who think he deserved this," he gestured to John, lying deathly still on the bed, "for this." He laced his fingers back with John's.

"He wasn't supposed to turn out this way!" Henry cried. "You think I want my son to be a queer? When I pass on I want to meet my son in heaven some day. But I cant do that if his bad choices continue!" He leaned over and smacked Alex's hand away from his son's. Peggy, frightened by conflict, dashed from the room, while Angelica stood behind Alexander, both literally and metaphorically.

"Bad choices?" Alex practically screamed. "Like the choice of loving _me_?"

"Queer love isn't love." Henry sneered.

"Love doesn't discriminate between the sinners and the saints." A familiar voice sounded from the door. Alex craned his neck to see Aaron Burr entering, a balloon in one hand, a mid-sized bouquet of flowers in the other.

"What?" Henry scoffed in aggravation.

Burr realized that his metaphor had fallen on deaf ears and sighed. "There's no such thing as 'bad love, sir. And from experience, I will tell you that the love that your son shares with m colleague here is the closest thing to the existence of heaven that I know of."

Henry's face flared red. "The Good Book says-"

"Excuse me!" A shrill voice interrupted him. Dr. Reynolds Stormed into the room, followed by a uniformed man and Peggy. "This is a  _hospital_. Belligerent behavior is not acceptable here. I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"B-but my son-" Henry argued.

"You can come back when you've calmed down." The uniformed man said. "Now you can leave on your own, or I can escort you out. Your choice."

Henry muttered something about Alex going to hell before leaving. Dr. Reynolds and the uniformed man nodded at one another, and the latter left.

"Is everyone alright?" Dr. Reynolds asked. "Peggy here came and got me, said there was an angry man in the room."

"Yeah, all fine now." Angelica nodded, sitting back down.

Alex stared at the door in anger before acknowledging Burr. "Did you really mean all that stuff you said?"

"Sure." Burr nodded earnestly. He handed Alex the gifts. "For when he wakes up."

"Thanks." Alex said, but it was clear that he meant for more that just the presents.

While Burr made small talk with the girls, Dr. Reynolds approached Alex. "I got a call from Eliza Schuyler." She began. "She told me she was worried about you, that you haven't slept yet."

"I've slept," Alex lied, "for a little yesterday, and again this morning."

"Well, even so." Dr. Reynolds pulled him close and slipped something into his hand. "Tell no one." And she was gone.

Alex looked down at his hand. A tiny pill bottle with four little blue pills inside. Ambien.

Alex shrugged. It couldn't hurt.

* * *

 

Lafayette, Hercules and Eliza all arrived back to the hospital  around 10 PM. It was far past visiting hours, but Dr. Reynolds let them in anyways.

Peggy and Angelica were curled up near the window, and, to their great surprise, Alex was asleep as well, his lead lolling over John's shoulder. Neither of them were energized enough to ask questions, so they pulled up chairs and fell asleep in various positions around the bed.

 

 


	5. When You Smile; I Fall Apart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lafayette and Hercules find it difficult to leave for court when there's a drastic change in Laurens' condition.

**Huffington Post** (@HuffingtonPost)

_Day one of Laurens assault case takes to NYC court today huff.to/5Fj0gEK_

**George Washington** (@genwashington)

_#JusticeforJohn Good luck today, @lancelotoftherevolution @herculesthetailor_

_RT:_ **Huffington Post** (@HuffingtonPost)

_Day one of Laurens assault case takes to NYC court today huff.to/5Fj0gEK_

* * *

 

 _There's something resting on my leg,_ he thinks,  _and on my left shoulder. Someone is holding my right hand._

It's small observations like this that keep him from screaming.  _Suck a breath in. Force it out. Repeat._

_Where is he? God, where is he? Where is everyone? My back, my stomach, it all hurts... Oh god. Alright._

He forced one eye open, which took much more effort than it should have, and then the other. His throat was painfully dry, all of his muscles felt like they had been pumped with cement. His right knee throbbed, as did his left arm, which he felt was placed at an awkward angle. He tried to move it but was stopped by a severe pain in his shoulder. He groaned in discomfort, letting his sound trail off with the rest of his first conscious breath.

A tight gasp came from somewhere very near his right ear. "John? Are you awake?'

He managed to turn his head just enough to make out half of Alexander's face. 

"Holy shit." Alex breathed. "You're... Holy shit!" Without thinking, Alex lunged forward and kissed him excitedly, passionately. It was the only action that didn't hurt.

When Alex pulled away he was laughing and crying, waking everyone else in the room. Soon everyone, though groggy, was excitedly crowding the bed, gently hugging John, barely even toughing him for fear of hurting him. It was so surreal to Alex- when he had fallen asleep, the boy next to him may as well have been a corpse, and now he was smiling and laughing at Hercules, who was crying almost as much as Alex himself. So much had changed in the past two days, but John's eyes still held the same sparkle, and that was all Alex needed to know that everything would be okay.

After Dr. Reynolds stopped by to examine him and he had been endlessly questioned and caught up by his friends, Laurens and Alex finally had some time alone- The girls had gone back to the store, taking Peggy with them (she couldn't quite handle going back to school after such a week), and Lafayette and Hercules had left for the courthouse, leaving Alex and John alone in each others company.

"You had me so worried, you know." Alex sighed, brushing John's hair back from his face.

"I'm sorry. But what was I supposed to do? Just let those jackasses run around, saying whatever they want about me?" John rasped, his voice quiet from days of unuse.

"They weren't talking about you, though." Alex explained.

"Yeah, well, they may as well have been." John's eye's glanced down. "I.. Don't suppose you've heard from Henry."

Alex closed his eyes, afraid to tell John the truth. "Actually, yes. He was by yesterday, but... Ah, I won't get you in on all the details. Suffice to say, it wasn't a positive interaction."

John laughed, but Alex could see the moisture in his eyes. "Not surprised." 

Alex took John's hand and brought it to his lips. "Hey, he's someone else's problem now."

"Yeah, but he's still my dad." John countered. "Regardless of what he says to me, I'm always going to want to please him, to make him love me, you know?"

"What are you saying?" Alex asked, filling with dread.

"Oh, no!" John exclaimed, realizing what had frightened Alex so. "I'm not going to change myself, or anything about my lifestyle. But there is a part of me that's always gonna want a relationship with my father, one I'll never have."

"I used to envy people with fathers," Alex chuckled lowly, "mine was in and out until I was ten, I never knew him much to begin with. Kinda makes me glad, you know? Like, what if he had been this cheap, drunk, no-good son of a bitch who hated me for loving you? I wouldn't give you up for anything."

That was enough to return the smile to John's face. With all of his energy, he shuffled closer to the edge of the bed so that he could put his head on Alex's shoulder.

* * *

 

It was tense in the courtroom, but Hercules couldn't bring himself to pay attention for more than a minute. He didn't know anything about this legal stuff, all he knew was that Lee and Seabury belonged in jail for as long as the judge would allow. From behind his table, Aaron Burr explained to the judge that his client was not present as he was in recovery, and that was about when Hercules stopped listening.

Until Lafayette was called to the witness stand.

Once he swore over the bible, Aaron asked him to recount his recollection of the experience. "It was Saturday," he began, "John Laurens, Hercules Mulligan and myself were at Krissy's, this little cafe. We had eaten lunch and were about to leave when Lau- Uh, John heard Charles and Sam joking about another student that John knows from the Gender Sexuality Alliance on campus. They were calling him a f- well, you get the idea. John told them to _casse toi_ , but they wouldn't have it. They got into this heated debate, and that's when Lee threw the first punch." Lafayette took a deep breath before continuing. "Sam took another. Hercules and I- we didn't know what to do. We should have stepped in sooner but we were terrified.Laurens is- he's a pretty small guy, so there wasn't a lot he could do. Lee got him in the nose right off the bat, so he was shut down. Once he was on the ground, Lee started hitting him with a chair, and Sam broke a dish on his face. Hercules intervened then, he pulled John out from under them and we took him to the closest hospital, New York Presbyterian."

"And how is Mr. Laurens faring as of late?" Aaron asked, though he already knew- Alex had been sending him minutely updates.

"He woke up this morning." Lafayette answered. "But those first two days, when he was out, it was... I've never seen anything like it in my life. His boyfriend, Alex, never left his side. Still hasn't. His friends have all been so worried for him..." He stopped, feeling a sob welling in his throat, threatening to break free. Aaron, sensing this, dismissed him from the stand. As soon as he was back in his seat, Lafayette wept quietly into Hercules' shoulder.

Unfortunately, Lee & Sam had the only lawyer as good as Aaron Burr- Thomas Jefferson, who made quite the convincing case about how his defendants were pushed and taunted by Laurens. The jury began deliberation that lasted for hours, until another case was scheduled to take the court in just over ten minutes.

"We will resume this case tomorrow, at 9:00 AM." The judge decided with a slam of her gavel.

Thus began the most frustrating 18 hours of Lafayette and Hercules' lives.

 


	6. Quite A Lawyer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once the ruling from John's case is released, everyone wonders how to proceed, no one more than Alex. When things get personal, a friend of Hamilton's takes things into his own hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im so sorry  
> also WARNING: there's some vaguely NSFW stuff in this chapter.

**LEE AND SEABURY ACQUITTED IN LAURENS ASSAULT CASE**

_ Wednesday, August 27th, 12:57 PM _

_ New York Times _

 

In a shocking turn of events, the jury of the seemingly open-and-shut case of the assault of Columbia student, John Laurens, 24, ruled in favor of the defendants, Charles Lee and Sam Seabury. The two were accused of aggravated assault when witnesses Marqis de Lafayette and Hercules Mulligan reported seeing Laurens in an altercation with the two before he was beaten. Laurens is currently in recovery in hospital under the care of Dr. Maria Reynolds. The charges were dropped on the decision that Laurens had shoved one of the two men. Judge John Adams presented the ruling at a press conference 9:00 AM this morning in Manhattan.

We reached out to Laurens's boyfriend, Alexander Hamilton, 25, for a statement:

"I am beyond outraged at this ruling," Hamilton said, "John was in a medically induced sleep for two days due to the extent of his injuries, and yet Lee and Seabury are free men. They have committed a hate crime, but are receiving no punishment for their actions. My heart is broken today."

Lee and Seabury credit the success of their defense to their lawyer, Thomas Jefferson, of Jefferson & Madison.

_ The quotes and views expressed in this article in no way reflect the opinions of the New York Times. _

* * *

 

 **George Washington** (@genwashington)

_All my love and support to @johnlaurensNYC and @alexhamilton today. We'll never be free until we end prejudice against out LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters. #JusticeforJohn_

* * *

 

All morning, everyone had been receiving texts, emails, calls, and notifications of every kind after the ruling had been released. Everyone was in shock- they had watched it together when it was being released on TV- Eliza gasped and hugged everyone, Angelica shook her head, Peggy stared in shock, Lafayette and Hercules embraced, Alex balled his fists and stood, and John seemed to have lost all emotion. It wasn't until a few hours later, when Dr. Reynolds came by, did he show any sign of knowing what had happened.

"Hey," the curly-haired woman said as she entered the room. She had a tight, forced-looking smile. "How you feeling?"

"Fine, I guess." John shrugged, refusing to meet her eyes. Alex tightened his grip on his hand and shook his head in dismay.

"I just wanted to let you know that... I saw the ruling. We all did. And John, we are so, so incredibly sorry. Those men are guilty." She touched the injured boy's arm gingerly.

It was a few seconds before John showed any response. His face slowly fell and then rebuilt itself into a miserable, broken scowl. Tears began rolling down his cheeks against his will. Alex was practically on top of him, peppering the top of his head with light kisses and stroking his neck. 'Thank you', Alex mouthed to the doctor, 'for everything'.

"It seems impossible." John sniffed. "I mean, all I said was, 'hey man, you shouldn't say shit like that. You never know whos listening. Maybe it's someone on the fence about gay rights, or a homophobe thinking that because they heard you talking like that, their judgement is justified. Or maybe its some gay kid who, like, just learned to be okay with it all. And they were like-" He stopped himself. "It doesn't matter. And they're saying I shoved them! Jefferson told the jury I pushed Lee into a table, and he just so happened to have a bruise on his hip to prove it." An awkward silence consumed the room.

"Hey, I know something that'll cheer you up." Dr. Reynolds suddenly said. "I've been checking your vitals from the past few rounds, and if you want, you can have a shower," She sent a pointed look to Alex, "provided you have some help."

John wiped his face and looked up at his doctor with a bit of excitement. "Really?" He asked; he had been begging for a shower practically since he woke up. "That's awesome. Thank you, Dr. Reynolds."

"Maria, please." She smiled. "Just let me-" She quickly disconnected the IV tube from the needle in John's arm. "Just be careful with that, okay? Have your boyfriend help you, and you have to sit. The danger of you slipping and falling isn't something we're prepared to deal with right now. Let me know when you get out, so I can hook you back up."

"Okay. Thank you again." John shouted to her retreating form.

"We'll go get some lunch while you shower." Angelica decided. Everyone (save for Alex) followed her out of the room.

* * *

 

"Small victories." Eliza reminded the rest of her small posse as they sat around 2 tables pushed together in the cafeteria. They had bought a collection of sandwiches, fruit cups, muffins, salads, soft drinks and the like, all the treat of Eliza herself. "He's able to get up and shower and whatnot. That's a small victory."

"But we lost in the long run." Peggy muttered in a frustrated manner. "When he goes back to school, Lee and Sam will both be there. Who's to say it won't happen again?"

"We won't let it happen." Lafayette put his arm around the youngest Schuyler. "Hercules and I are going to hover around him like drones until we graduate."

"It's unbelievable." Hercules shook his head in anger. "Jefferson clearly perjured himself and yet his clients walk away scot free. The homophobia in this country is out of control."

"Yeah..." Eliza sighed and flipped a leaf of lettuce over in the plastic container.

"You okay, Lize?" Angelica put her hand over her sister's protectively.

"Yeah. Fine." Eliza said stiffly. Everyone leaned in a little closer to her, Hercules giving her a stare. Finally, she cracked. "I guess- and I know it's selfish, to be thinking about myself in a time like this- but what if something like that happens to me? Nobody really knows, but even so. It could happen to me."

"It could happen to you." Lafayette repeated, for the first time understanding.

* * *

 

In the bathroom, the shower was running, and Alex helped John undress. In the mirror, John saw, for the first time, the scar on his stomach, and almost vomited. There were still may bruises covering his abdomen, and his arm was still in a sling to help his healing shoulder and collarbone, and he had to use a crutch and the aid of his boyfriend to get around considering the state of his knee. When he finally sat in the shower, the hot water pouring over him, he let out a long sight of relief. Days of sweat, blood and grime washed off of him, down the drain, and it felt like a baptism.

Alex joined him quickly, standing behind the stool on which he was sitting, to wash John's hair for him. His hands worked gloriously into John's scalp, and it reminded him of being at the hairdresser. That image of normalcy drew another long sigh from his lips, accompanied by the tiniest of involuntary moans.

"What was that, babe?" Alex asked, moving in close to his face, running his hands down his chest. The suds of shampoo had begun to run out of his hair, dripping down his torso.

"Nothing. Just feels nice, is all." John's voice was close to a whisper. Alex, the cocky bastard he was, smiled to himself. He placed a series of small, sweet kisses along John's neck, jaw and cheek, hair washing long forgotten. There wasn't much John could do except breath tiny, quiet 'yes's and relax for the first time in days, Alex working away his stress in more ways than one.

* * *

 

George Washington arrived at the courthouse that afternoon, feeling barely prepared for his impending case in which he was defending a young woman accused of theft. He had called his intern earlier that day to see how he and his boyfriend were doing, to see if they needed anything. Alex said they were fine, but if he wanted, he and Martha were free to drop by for a visit any time they wanted- 'just don't expect a very cheery atmosphere,' Alex had told him.

"Pardon me, are you George Washington, sir?" A young man in a security uniform approached the lawyer.

"Yes, I am." George replied.

"You're the best lawyer in Manhattan, correct?"

"Well," George smirked a bit and adjusted his tie. "I've been told I'm pretty good."

The young man looked slightly nervous, wringing his hand together. "Then perhaps you could help me figure out what to make of this."


	7. Washington On Your Side

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Washington's attention is called to an incriminating video, he unites with Aaron Burr and Alex and his friends to investigate.  
> Meanwhile, the girls spend some time with John.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know literally nothing abt law stuff so forgive any inconsistencies.

**George Washington**

( _georgemwashington@gmail.com)_

 

Hello, Aaron.

I am at the courthouse where the Laurens trial took place. I was taken aside by a security guard who showed me security footage of what appears to be Thomas Jefferson giving money to Judge John Adams. The tape is dated almost directly after the court let out and while the jury was deliberating. As Adams broke the ruling, it is unclear whether this was the official ruling or not. Please make your way here as soon as possible to help me investigate.

Warmest regards,

-G. Washington

* * *

 

"I was thinking last night," Alex started, "about when I got the call that you were here."

"Oh yeah?" john looked up from his knitting that he was using one of Alex's hands for in the absence of his own- Hercules had been trying to teach him, but he seemed helpless.

"Yeah. I though about the last time I saw you before the call." John squinted to the wall across from him, trying to remember. "It was the day before," Alex served, "we had all just gone to dinner, and I walked you home. I gave you a goodnight kiss outside your door."

"Oh yeah." A warm smile grew on John's face.

Alex continued. "I was thinking; what if that had been the last time I ever saw you? because every day when I wake up, all I can think about is getting to see you at the end of the day."

"Me too." John confessed, placing his hand onto Alex's.

"And I just thought, 'this would be so much easier if I had seen him this morning', you know? Your face would have been that much clearer in my mind, your voice, your smile." Alex brushed the backs of his fingers against John's cheek. "And so, this morning, when I woke up and you were here, it was amazing. But it also forced me to think about the future, about life after this horror show has passed. So, moving forward, I propose that you, John Laurens, move in with me." Alex paused before tacking on, "If not for your sake, then for mine."

John's eyes were a little wider than he should have been, his mouth slack and his eyebrows slightly raised. "Really?" There was the slightest hint of a smile in his cheeks.

"Uh, yeah." Alex chuckled lowly. "W-would you."

John's smile was full-blown now. "Yes, please."

Alex leaned over the gaurdrail and kissed his boyfriend with as much passion and fervor as he had. They both thought: at least something good came out of this week.

The Schuyler sisters entered the room then, pausing in the door. "Are we interrupting something?" Angelica jided.

While John turned red, Alex beamed. "We're moving in together."

All three girls immediately rejoiced, crowding the bed to hug & kiss them both. In the midst of all the excitement, Alex received a text.

 

**Aaron Burr** _(4:07 PM)_

_Can u get to the courthouse?_

**Alexander Hamilton** _(4:08)_

_I'm off work until John comes home, remember?_

**Aaron Burr**   _(4:09 PM)  
It's not wrk. Kind of. It's abt jffrsn and ur boy laurens. W needs our help_

 

"I gotta go." Alex mumbled. "I just got a text from Burr, he said something's up at the courthouse about Jefferson." He stood and threw on his coat, pressed a kiss to John's lips, and headed for the door. He stopped just short of the exit.

"What's wrong?" Eliza asked.

"I just realized- this is going to be the first time I've left." Alex said quietly.

"It's all good!" Peggy chirped. "We'll take good care of him."

Alex paused another moment before nodding. "Call if anything happens.  _Anything_." He instructed before he left.

* * *

 

"There you are," Aaron exclaimed upon seeing Alexander entering the courthouse.

"Here I am," Alexander confirmed, "what's going on?"

"Come with me." Aaron gestured and began walking. "How's Laurens?"

"He's getting better." Alexander nodded. Then, unable to contain his excitement, "I asked him to move in with me. He said yes."

"Oh! Congratulations." Aaron smiled earnestly as they entered a small room in the back of the building. Washington was there, as well as a security guard and a tall older woman.

"Ah, Alexander." Washington embraced him in his fatherly way. "This is Alexis McIntosh," He gestured to the woman, "the forewoman from the Laurens trial."

"Pleasure to meet you." Alexander shook her hand.

"Anyway, this tape was found. It shows Jefferson and Adams, and it's looking like Jefferson gives Adams money. The exact amount isn't clear, but it's marked about the same time as when the jury would have been deliberating."

"The most convincing argument to our ruling was Jefferson's claim that Laurens pushed Lee, which Seabury backed up with an eyewitness claim." Alexis explained. "Of course, Lafayette's account was significantly different. But we needed to play it safe, it was a he-said-he-said, word vs. word, seeing as Krissy's doesn't have security cameras and Lee had that bruise. But now, seeing this, I do believe that our jury could have ruled wrong."

"What?" Alexander asked, incredulous.

"The case is being re-opened." Washington announced.

* * *

 

"So, you're moving in with Alex?" Angelica grinned.

"Yeah, it looks that way." John sighed happily.

"How're you feeling?" Eliza asked.

"I can't tell. I'm on too many pain meds." John joked.

Peggy put a hand on his leg. "Well, at least you still have your sense of humor." She looked him up and down. "You got laid today, didn't you?"

"What?!" John exclaimed, instinctively pulling his blankets up.

"You're all grinning and glowing." Peggy observed. John's blush gave his earlier shower escapades away.

Once again, all three girls began squealing. "Tell us everything." Eliza laughed, scooting closer to him. Peggy began combing through and styling John's hair, and Angelica cracked open an iced tea. "Dish."


	8. Non-Stop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alexander works on Laurens' case out of the hospital before the final trial. Meanwhile, Dr. Reynolds recruits the help of a friend of John's to convince John and Alex to go to therapy, yielding unexpected results.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> once again i know absolutely NOTHING about law, so please forgive, or if something is GLARINGLY wrong please let me know so I can fix it! thanks again!  
> ALSO: there is an In The Heights reference in this chapter. If you find it point it out!!!

"How're we doing this morning?" Maria asked upon entering John's hospital room.

"Alright." John groaned. They had slowly begun weening him off of the medication, so now the pain from his injuries was beginning to fade in.

"Good. Is Alex here? I'd like to talk to you both." She said. That's when John noticed that she wasn't wearing her usual white coat and professional skirts- instead she wore casual jeans and a white t-shirt, her hair pulled on top of her head in a messy bun.

"He just went to go renew his parking. Is everything alright?" John asked, concerned.

"Everything is fine," Maria laughed and took a seat at the edge of the bed, "I just need to have a little discussion with the two of you about where we go from here."

Alex returned less than a minute later, and had the same reaction John did upon seeing Maria looking so... Human, to say the least. Everything in the hospital was sterile, all sharp edges and stark whiteness, so seeing anything change about that gave Alex the impression that something was horribly wrong. "Maria!" He cried, using her first name as she had requested. "Is everything alright?"

Maria hesitated a moment before answering. "Yes. Please have a seat." Alex did as he was told, and Maria continued. "So, legally, as a doctor, I can't try to talk my patients into a treatment they don't want. But I'm off duty now, and I figured I could try, as a friend." She said earnestly.

"What treatment?" Alex questioned.

"Therapy." Maria said quickly. When she saw the faces of the two boys change, she waved her hands to preemptively shut them up. "I knew you'd have a bad reaction. But please, listen: John, you've been through a lot in the past week. From almost dying to all this legal stuff being thrown around your name, it... I couldn't have been easy. I think you should see a counselor to help talk through any feelings you might be having. And Alex, you've been under equal stress. So I'm recommending you both to my friend, she's a trained counselor who specializes with trauma victims. You have appointments tomorrow morning at 10."

"I don't need therapy!" John countered. "I need to keep recovering. Then I need to go home and continue my life like all of this never happened."

"And I've been doing just fine," Alex added of himself, "yeah, I've been under stress, but stress doesn't automatically equal a shrink."

"Well." Maria took back her doctor's stance. "Think it over. If you change your mind, let me know."

* * *

 

Eliza stared up at her ceiling, feeling more foreign than usual. Nobody had gone home yet, they'd all been staying at her place, taking turns with who slept where. Currently, she and Peggy were in the bed, Hercules was on the recliner, Angelica was on the couch, and Lafayette was on the living room floor. Eliza had resigned herself early on to sleeping on the floor, but after 3 consecutive nights of no sleep, Lafayette had plucked her up from the ground and gently tossed her on the bed next to her sister, turning off the lights and leaving before she could protest.

Eliza considered herself a smart woman, or so Alex had told her many times over when she was stressed about one class or another. But even so, there were things she couldn't explain- how Alex could balance tackling a (rather huge) law case while his boyfriend was still in the hospital; how Lafayette kept everyone smiling; how her sisters had picked up their lives and carried on, Peggy taking online classes and Angelica recruiting a friend to watch the bakery; or how Hercules had managed to do everything she couldn't. She felt useless. Everyone else had done everything she couldn't do- asked the right questions and said and did the right things while she was off by herself, crying in the hall outside of John's room out of fear of what would come next for everyone. Not a day went by where she didn't cry.

From the moment she heard Alex's trembling voice on the phone, a pivitol shift occurred somewhere, rooted deep in the very foundation of their group. Something was different, and even though Eliza felt it more of a first sunrise than a darkness, thinking about the fact made her feel weak; helpless.

Outside the bedroom door he could hear noise- the TV was turned on, the clanking of pots and pans and conversation. The house was waking, even though it was early afternoon- their sleep schedules were all pretty much fucked. The woman rolled out of bed as best she could without disturbing the young Schuyler beside her and made her way to the door. As she walked down the hallway, three things occurred to her, all at once-

One: She needed help. After 3 consecutive days of no sleep or food that wasn't from a vending machine, her skin was pale, her hands and legs trembled constantly, and her hair had begun falling out. She couldn't continue burning the candle at both ends, and as bad as she felt for thinking about herself, she was smart enough to be a little selfish when the context demanded it.

Two: John would probably be coming home soon, which meant he'd be moving in with Alex. He'd need his things moved. That could be easily arranged within the next few days.

Three: John and Alex needed help, too. With everything they'd gone through, she wouldn't be surprised if a doctor had recommended therapy. She assumed they'd probably reject the idea, but it was worth a shot.

She immediately changed her course from the kitchen to the front door, pulling on her jacket and boots and leaving immediately, leaving Angelica, Lafayette and Hercules all staring after her in confusion.

* * *

 

"Dr. Reynolds!" Eliza cried as she entered the hospital. Just her luck- Dr. Reynolds was sitting in one of the overstuffed plush chairs in the reception area. "I'd like to talk to you, if you don't mind."

"Of course." The doctor stood. "And please, call me Maria. Your whole group does, and I've always hated the Dr. prefix. What can I do for you?"

"Alex and John." Eliza began. "You've probably already thought of this, but- therapy, or counseling, or whatever you call it. Something to help them wrap their heads around what's happened."

Maria gave a blithe smile. "I'm one step ahead of you." She laughed bitterly. "I asked them about it this morning, I even took the initiative to set up appointments for them tomorrow morning. They shot the idea down pretty quick."

"I kinda thought that would happen." Eliza nodded. "Alex, well. He's a bit of a lost cause. Stubborn, stuck in his ways, all that. But I think with a little push, John could warm up to the idea. I'd be willing to talk to him if that's what it takes."

"If you think you can convince him, please, be my guest." Maria shrugged. "But that leaves one open spot in the session. I'd need another trauma victim to fill the spot."

"What about me?" Eliza blurted before she could stop herself. "I'm not exactly a patient, but... I think I'd benefit from a talk. A professional one, at least."

Maria regarded her with slightly concerned eyes before conceding. "Yes, yes. You can have the spot." She nodded her head. "I think you'd benefit from it as well. I'll send up the requisition as soon as I can."

Something about the smile Maria gave her made an unfamiliar (yet not unwelcome) warmth spread throughout Eliza's chest. "Thank you." Her voice was very near a whisper. Maria pulled her into a tight hug- she smelled like coconut, Eliza observed, and a little bit of cinnamon.

"Any time." Maria matched her tone. When Eliza pulled away, Maria took her hand, that same smile still on her face. "Wanna get some coffee?"

* * *

 

Alex stared intently at his laptop. Despite not being at the actual courthouse while the trial was taking place, the judge (not Adams) had allowed Aaron to skype with Alex in the courtroom so that Alex could witness everything first-hand.

Both Lee and Seabury had recounted their testimony, as had Lafayette and Hercules. George was representing the latter men, and some older gentlemen none of them had heard up represented the other side. Alex had refused John's request to watch along under the guise that even he, a lawyer, wasn't supposed to be watching this, but the truth? Alex was terrified that if the ruling came back the same, it would shatter John.

Jefferson was up for questioning. The evidence used- the video. The judge was describing the severity of the crime of a judge taking a bribe when Adams leaned over to his lawyer, whispering something in his ear. The lawyer stood. "Uh, my client is requesting a sidebar with the judge."

The judge rolled her eyes. "Fifteen minute recess for everyone." She announced and gestured for the lawyer and Adams to follow her out of the room.

"What's going on, babe?" John asked, leaning to try and see a glimpse of the screen.

"Not sure." Alex replied honestly. "Adams just requested a sidebar. They're in recess."

John nodded along like he knew what Alex was talking about. Alex's phone buzzed.

 

**Aaron Burr** _(3:42 PM)_

_Ar u watchng? Jeffrsns sweating buckets, his eyes ar all shifty._

 

Before he could type out a response, Alex saw the judge, Adams and the lawyer all return to the courtroom. Adams held his head low, while the judge looked slightly lost. "Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Adams has just informed me that Mr. Jefferson did, indeed, perjure himself. They are both found guilty of perjury and treason."

Alex watched, astounded, as Jefferson, Adams, Lee and Seabury were led out of the court in handcuffs. Hercules broke from the gallery and grabbed Aaron's computer, speaking into the webcam. "You see that, Alex? Justice, bitch!"


	9. Rise Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliza hides a secret, Washington has a gift for Alex and John, and John is finally released.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yo i'm sorry this took longer than expected! things at school got really crazy and i had a slight medical emergency towards the end of the week, but we're back on track now. as this story comes to a close, just letting you know i've started another one that can be found on my page, that's more or less going to be fluff and college and the exact opposite of this is. it's only one chapter now but another should be up before the end of the week. thanks again for your support!  
> and just fyi because i got a few ??s about this on my tumblr: yeah, eliza is def gay (i have no basis for this i just love gay stuff)  
> (ALSO: def some nsfw stuff in this chap)

In the days following the final trial, Alexander's life was a flurry of activity. He had since taken up working at John's bedside, writing, as he always had, like he was running out of time.

The others all made arrangements to get on with their lives once John was released the next day, and John was over-researching moving companies and stressing where to take the things he wasn't moving before realizing that Alex had a storage unit in his apartment complex. He had been a lot calmer lately, since Eliza talked him into Maria's suggestion of therapy. He had been completely against it at the start, only going to make Eliza happy, but found this it truly had been helping.

They were all sitting lazily around John's room when a phone beeped. Eliza, realizing it was her own, stood and made her way to the door.

"Where are you going?" Lafayette asked after this had happened almost four times without explanation.

"Errands," Eliza said quickly, "Gotta run some errands."

* * *

 

Their meetings took place in one of the on-call rooms on the floor below John's. When Eliza arrived, Maria always had the curtains drawn, the lights off, and was typically undressed from the waist up.

"Hey." Eliza said quietly, shutting the door behind her.

"Hey." Maria repeated. Her voice was low and husky, and there was a rich quality to it that made Eliza dance in anticipation.

Maria sauntered over to her, backing her up against the door. She placed both of her hands on either side of Eliza's head, locking her in, before moving in for a kiss. This was the one and only time Eliza allowed herself to be selfish- she wanted all of Maria, all to herself. And she didn't even care. She raised her arms for Maria to remove her shirt before resting her hands on her hips.

Either Eliza was more inexperienced than she had originally thought, or Maria was some kind of deity in the sack- her hands were everywhere at once, tracing her collarbone, running over her sides, tugging slightly at her hair, working away at the buttons on Eliza's jeans. When she finally got the zipper down, she hooked her fingers into Eliza's foremost beltloops and pulled her towards the bed, landing neatly beneath her. Eliza shuffled her pants off, barely having enough time to flick them off of her ankles when Maria flipped them over, forcing Eliza onto her back. This was both of their favorite part- Maria got control, and Eliza got release.

* * *

 

In the aftermath, they lay together, both of their breathing still slightly heavier than normal. Eliza took this opportunity to bring up the topic that had been on her mind since the first time they met together in the on-call room. With a shaky voice, she quietly asked, "What's going to happen when John gets out, and I'm not here anymore?"

Maria was quiet for a few moments before sitting up, an unreadable expression on her face. "Let's get a coffee."

So they did, sitting across from each other at a particularly tiny table by a window. Maria took a long drag of her coffee before finally speaking to Eliza. "So, tell me about your family."

"What?" Eliza exclaimed, half laugh, half scoff. 

"I'm asking you date questions." Maria answered calmly. "This is a date. We are on a date, because I'd feel weird asking you to be my girlfriend without at least one proper, official, confirmed date."

Eliza's sternum erupted into butterflies, her over-swollen heart knocking against her ribcage. There was a new expression on Maria's face, one of uncertainty, vulnerability, and if Eliza squited and turned her head a little to the left, she swears there was some hope in there.

Trying to contain her smile, she looked down at a worn spot on the table. "Well, you already know my sisters..."

* * *

 

"Raise a glass to freedom!" Lafayette exclaimed, holding a box of apple juice high above his head. "You're going home tomorrow!"

"I know," John sighed, "I can't wait to get out of here."

"I cant wait for you to come home with me." Alex added, nuzzling his face into John's shoulder. John was dour of bed and sitting on the window seat across the room, unencumbered from IVs and monitors.

Lafayette and Hercules looked at each other before looking back at the couple. "Gross." They joked in unison, clicking their boxes together.

A knock came from the door. "Hello?" George Washington poked his head in.

"Sir!" Alex stood immediately, finally having enough sense to be intimidated by his boss again.

"Son," George smiled and embraced Alex. When he pulled away, he caught John's eye. "You must be John Laurens!" He walked over to where John sat and shook his hand. "Pleasure to finally meet you."

"And you as well, sir. I've heard many good things about you." John smiled.

After also greeting Lafayette and Hercules, George turned back to Alex and John. "I have a surprise for you." He said raising his eyebrows. "Lafayette, Hercules, would you mind giving us some privacy?"

"Absolutely, sir." Lafayette nodded, and he and Hercules ducked out of the room.

George took a seat next to John. "I want to help you out as much as I can." He started. "Alex, you know you're like a son to me. And you'd never accept this. So John, I'm giving this to you." He pulled from an inner pocket of his coat a folded up cheque and placed it John's hand. "For medical expenses, and whatever else you may need."

John unfolded the cheque.

**_PAY TO THE ORDER OF:_ **

_John Laurens_

_$10,000_

"Sir!" John's eyebrows raised nearly to his hairline. "This is so... I can't accept this. This is far too much."

"Don't think twice of it." Washington closed his hands around John's, sealing the cheque in and making sure John kept it.

Alex crossed his arms. He had expected for Washington to do something kind and paternal (he always did), and tried to hide his knowing smirk. "How much?"

"$10,000, Alex." John almost whispered.

Alex dropped his arms. "What? No!"

"Yes!" Washington exclaimed and stood. "You're taking it and that's the bottom line. Period. Now, I'm leaving before you can try to refute this anymore." He quickly hugged both men in the room and left, grinning all the while.

* * *

 

"Well... What now?" Lafayette asked as he and Hercules left the hospital room.

"I dunno. Hungry?" Hercules shrugged, gesturing vaguely in the direction of the cafeteria.

"Sure." Lafayette nodded, and together they headed down to the first floor, where the cafeteria was located.

After each buying their food, the two looked for a suitable place to sit- it was just past midday, the lunch rush long gone, and now all that remained in the cafeteria were a few nurses, a patient and a few doctors, and two women sitting near a back window.

"Hey, isn't that Eliza?" Lafayette noticed, pointing to the back.

"Looks like it... And Maria?" Hercules began walking towards them, not ever registering that the two women's hands were laced together. "Hey you two!"

"Hercules!" Eliza cried, yanking her hands out of Maria's. "What's, um- what's going on?"

"Nothin', just came down for some grub." Hercules beamed, still oblivious to the lipstick marks on his friend's cheek and neck.

Lafayette, however, was not so innocent. "How were those _errands_?" he looked pointedly at Eliza.

"Great." Eliza breathed out befor she could stop herself. "I mean- good. They went fine, thanks Laf." She muttered, her face turning red.

Hercules caught on. "Holy shit!" He laughed boisterously. "You," he pointed to Maria, "and you," he pointed to Eliza, "together?"

"Well, uh, yeah." Maria shrugged. Eliza smiled at her, it wasn't often she was so quiet.

Lafayette pulled a chair up next to Eliza, resting his chin on her shoulder to sing "Maria and Eliza, sitting in a tree," and Hercules joined in for the "K-I-S-S-I-N-G."

"Shut up!" Eliza laughed.

__

* * *

 

The next morning, John was discharged. It was slightly emotional- after everything everyone had been though in the past week and a half, how could it not have been- but they kept it together pretty well. The eight of them stood outside the hospital doors where they had all entered.

"Here's to moving on." Alex placed a tender kiss to John's cheek. "To overcoming."

"To rising up." John confirmed.

"Here here!"

 

 


	10. May You Always Be Satisfied

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One month after the incident, the entire group comes back together for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ey so heres the end of the story! im actually super proud of this, i finished it really quickly and i got a lot of good responses from you guys. thank you all so much!! i love you!  
> also: if you wanna hear more from me, i have another story that i just started on my page! so go check that out if ya want.  
> also x2: if you have requests for oneshots or something please bring them to me! im always looking for prompts and stuff and ill do any ship, any rating, and scenario, etc. so yeah, hit me up with those requests!

ONE MONTH LATER

 

"Lookin' good." Alex chuckled and sauntered over to the table where John was once again re-arranging the floral centerpiece.

"Thanks." John beamed. "I think I'm finally happy with it."

"I wasn't talking about the flowers," Alex slipped his hand around John's waist, "although those aren't bad either."

"Thanks." John smiled at him. Alex cringed slightly when he saw the left of his boyfriend's face- his bruises were healing up well, but that's not to say they weren't still present. They had mostly faded, save for the one around his eye, which had gone through several stages before recently settling on its current garish brown-green. Alex softly rubbed his thumb where the bruise met the skin.

"It's been a month." Alex observed.

"Yeah." John grabbed Alex's hand to stop him from rubbing at his face.

"One month since the worst day of my life." Alex shook his head.

"You think you had it bad?" John joked, nudging Alex in the side.

Alex smiled and looked back at John. "I love you."

"I love you too."

 

"HEYYYYY!!!"

"Hercules!" John exclaimed. "You can't just come in!"

Hercules shrugged. "Well what else was I gonna use this for?" He asked, and dangled a key from his hand.

John turned to Alex. "You gave him a key?" Alex shrugged sheepishly.

"Me too!" Lafayette cried and waltzed in, plopping himself on the couch.

John turned to his boyfriend. "Exactly how many people have keys to our house?"

"Just these guys." Alex shifted awkwardly. "And the girls."

John rolled his eyes, poorly concealing a smile. "Well, I guess it could be worse."

* * *

 

Angelica and Peggy arrived shortly after 4, Peggy still toting her backpack. She immediately threw it to the side upon arriving. "Home sweet home!" She cried.

"The place looks great, you guys." Angelica nodded approvingly. Once she made the customary 'hello' rounds, she handed Alex a wine bag.

"What's this?" He asked.

"Housewarming gift." She winked. Alex read the tag attached to the neck of the bottle-  _May You Always Be 'Satisfied' ;)_

"What's that supposed to mean?" Alex half-choked, thrown by the wink at the end.

"Whatever you interpret it to mean." Angelica said coyly, before throwing in "Shower boy" under her breath.

Eliza showed up with Maria in tow not an hour later, which threw the rest of the group for a loop. It wasn't that they didn't like Maria, that was  _certainly_ not the case, but they hadn't expected her to be following around Eliza after only a month of dating. "I hope you don't mind that she tagged along," Eliza said in an aside with John, "but she missed you guys."

John looked off in the direction of the doctor. "No worries, we love Maria."

"Me too." Eliza mentioned offhandedly before realizing what she had said. "I mean-"

"What?!" John whisper-screamed, grabbing Eliza by the shoulder.

"I don't know!" Eliza said back, pretending they were in a casual conversation to avoid attracting attention. "It just slipped out. I didn't mean it."

"You didn't?"

Eliza remained silent, and John could tell she was thinking about the question. He decided to drop it, but still felt especially privy to this information.

* * *

 

"Dinner is served!" Alex announced from the kitchen. Everyone excitedly crowded around the table as Alex and Peggy served what they had made- portions of spaghetti flooded in tomato and garlic sauce, with a side of Greek salad, the recipe for which had been found on Pinterest by the middle Schuyler, who had insisted that the chefs of the evening try it out. Everyone chatted merrily while enjoying the food and drinks (even Peggy, age 17, was allowed a glass of white wine by Angelica). Everyone shared stories from their days; Hercules told everyone about the flock of birds he had seen in the park earlier that followed him for nearly a whole city block; Eliza and Angelica chatted on about the happenings of the bakery, Lafayette groaned about his French Lit professor (who was apparently _sooooo_ inept); Peggy rambled on about senior year, occasionally garnering advice from her older peers; Maria kept them all in the loop about the going-ons at the hospital; and Alex and John went on about the stresses of moving and unpacking and rearranging Alex's former bachelor pad into the apartment that the couple now shared. For the first time since the accident, things felt normal. Even the presence of Maria didn't carry the connotation of the hospital.

"This is really fun," Angelica observed after a particularly funny story about Thursday past at the bar, "we should do this more often."

"Ooh, yeah!" Peggy agreed. "Like, an annual thing!"

Alex and John shared a look. "Yeah!" They announced together. 

"Shall we make it a monthly thing?" Lafayette suggested.

"No, weekly!" Eliza chimed in.

"As long as I don't have to cook like this once a week." Alex lamented. "I think my hands are about 45% burns."

"Nah, takeout all the way." Hercules decided.

"Every Saturday." Alex decided. "All in favor say 'I'."

There was no need for a counter-argument, as everyone immediately agreed.

* * *

 

Once the last guests had gone, Alex and John sat intertwined on the couch, simply lying there and listening to the sounds of the other.

"I'm really glad you're here." Alex muttered suddenly.

"Me too," John agreed quietly, "I think we've done a good job on this place. I like the color scheme we-"

"No. Here." Alex said pointedly, refusing to make eye contact. That would have been too much.

John pondered the statement for a moment before realizing. "Oh." He whispered. "Yeah. Yeah, me too."

"Kiss me."

"I can't, I have garlic breath."

"Damnit, Laurens, I said kiss me!"

And so he did.


End file.
